Fifty one

I woke up to the best news ever.

A text from Dr Mary was on my screen. She was coming back to town on Tuesday morning which meant that I won't be resuming work till that Tuesday morning. I had today and tomorrow to rest some more before then.

I stretched my hand above my head, my face almost bursting from the smile that had spread on it.

The door to the toilet opened and Mene stepped out in just his boxers briefs. His brows arched when he saw the wide smile on my face.

"Someone is in a joyous mood this morning". He remarked, walking to meet me. I propped my head on my hand as I watched him make his way to meet me.

"Your mother won't be coming back till Tuesday". I announced. "Which means that I have two more days to rest before then".

"Which means you have two more days to spend time with me". He leaned over to kiss me and I hummed as our tongues collided in a slow sensual dance and soon enough, I was on my back with Mene over me. I pressed my hands to his chest breaking off the kiss. I would surely die if I had sex again judging from how sore I was. I couldn't even press my thighs against each other without wincing in pain.

"I can't".

"You can't what? Spend time with me or what?"

"I have somewhere to go to today and I can't have sex, baby, I'm fucking sore. Also, look at your desk". We both turned to look at his desk where heaps of papers lay unattended. "I'm distracting you. You have work to do".

Mene pushed his eyes back to mine, totally unfazed by what I had just shown him. "You're my favorite distraction. Where do you have to go today?" He asked those words as he peppered kisses on my neck.

"I have a meeting with someone". I couldn't tell him it was Bernard. It would raise suspicions and demand explanations I didn't have the strength to give.

Mene paused kissing my chest to look me in the eyes. I bit my lips as I held his gaze, not wanting to give him anything to suspect.

"Who is the someone?"

"A personal meeting". I stated but he still didn't drop it.

"What kind of personal meeting is that?" I rolled my eyes at the question. Spending my whole life without a parent or guardian to police my movement or question my actions made me loathe whenever someone tried to do that. I've lived my whole life doing whatever I wanted and it wasn't going to change now. Even Chinwe tried countless times but failed as I still ended up doing what I wanted, as far as I knew that it was the right decision to make. Take my stripping job as a point of reference.

"Mene, I don't go about asking who you meet with every single minute of the day so I'll appreciate it if you don't do the same".

"If you ask me, I'll tell you".

"Well, I don't ask you so don't ask me". I retorted, pushing away from him so I could slip out of his hold. My legs trembled as they touched the ground and my jaw clenched in pain as my cramped muscles fought me. They wanted to lay down in bed all day but I couldn't do that. I sat back on the bed, sparing no glance at Mene as I started massaging and stretching my legs in a bid to reduce the ache.

"Fine but Dogo is taking you. This one isn't up for deliberation or argument". He ordered, rising from the bed and moving over to his desk.

"I'm not going with Dogo". Going with Dogo was the same as going with him. Dogo was going to watch every one of my movements and report back to him and Mene would make a scene if he discovered that I was meeting with a man. I didn't want him to embarrass Bernard just like he did Chinonso.

He whipped over in his chair to face me. "I just want to know who you're meeting with and where you're going. Stop being so difficult".

"And I'm telling you that you have no right to do that. I was living peacefully before you entered my life so quit the whole protector act. No one is going to kidnap me or anything".

He regarded me for a moment and I went back to massaging my legs, thinking he'd finally seen sense in my words.

But I was wrong.

"Dogo is taking you. End of discussion". He stated and turned back to his work. Like I was a child. Like he just gave orders to his three-year-old child.

Anger swelled up in me, sending me off the bed to my feet and my hands on my hips. "Didn't you just hear a word I said or do you just want to be unreasonable?"

"You're the one being unreasonable, Tarila". I battled the urge to recoil as he called me by my name instead of sweetheart like he fondly called me. "Just let Dogo take you wherever you want to".

"And I'm telling you no. Why the fuck do you think you have to start controlling my movements? Because we confessed our love for each other and all of a sudden, you feel like you're my dad or something? Well, newsflash, Mr Man you're not and don't act like it!" With my body vibrating from rage, I moved to his closet, threw a robe over my naked body and packed up my clothes, pushing them roughly inside my tote bag.

"Where are you going to?" Mene was on his feet in front of me immediately he saw me with my bag.

"I'm going to another room. It's clear that you need some space to clear your head and remind yourself of some boundaries you shouldn't cross".

****

Bernard was right where he said he'd be when I texted him at the taxi telling him that I was on my way to the restaurant. He was seated at the end of the restaurant with his attention rooted on his phone. Aside from his hair which he'd now dyed gold and his lip ring, he still looked the same. I sucked in a deep breath before I made my way towards him.

"Hi, Bernard". I said, once I got to the table he was seated. His eyes moved from his phone and once they landed on me, he jumped from his feet and pulled me into a warm hug. I smiled as I returned the hug. It reminded me of all the hugs we shared when we were friends before he fell in love with me and ruined everything.

"Wow". He breathed, separating from me. "You look beautiful". He complimented me as his eyes took in my black, loose two-piece which I styled with black heels. Aside from the fact that I loved looking nice no matter the occasion, I wanted to show Bernard that I was doing well even without stripping.

"You look nice yourself".

"Please sit". I wasn't surprised when he pulled out a chair for me to sit on. That was how Bernard always treated me. It's just a shame that I didn't and still don't find him attractive. "Should I get you something to eat or drink?"

I shook my head in a polite decline. Salome had already overfed me this morning. I was also dying of suspense here. I needed to know why he wanted to see me.

"No, I'm fine. Let's just talk about everything".

Bernard hid his disappointment with a thin smile. "Alright. Let's do that then. You're working for Chief Afeelo's wife, right? Dr Mary?"

I was so impatient to hear what he wanted to say that I didn't even bother to ask him how he knew what. Maybe he might have overheard some gossip or rumors.

"Yes. I am. Why are you asking?"

"Who gave you the job?"

I pressed my lips together not knowing if I should tell him that. We were not even friends anymore and this was a sensitive information that could ruin my life.

"Bobby gave you the job'. My eyes were wide as they whipped up to him the moment those words left his lips. "I know a lot of things, Tarila. Things I also want to know about".

"How did you know that?"

"I'm fucking Temitope". I wasn't surprised by that information. Temitope was ready to fuck anything at all. It was like she was born with Viagra in her veins. "And she told me a lot of things".

"Like what?"

"Like Bobby sending you here to act as a worker when he wants you to ruin Mene Afeelo's life". A cold chill ran down my body. He wasn't lying at all. He knew. His face bunched up with surprise and something that looked like disgust. "You know I doubted it when she told me but the fact that you're not even denying it right now. How could you agree to do a thing like that?"

I lowered my gaze to my hands as my scalp prickled with shame. This year has been full of surprises. Never would I have thought that I'd ever be in a position where I'd be getting scolded by Bernard.

"I had no choice".

"You had a choice. Don't say that".

"I said I didn't have any choice". I hissed. "Do you think I would happily want to ruin someone's life? Do you think I'll gladly volunteer to do something like that? That devil threatened to show the world that I was a tease. He also threatened to kill me".

Bernard raked his hand over his face before leaning forward to whisper his next words to me in a sharp tone. "I've worked under Bobby for years. Everyone that did a dirty job for him disappeared. No one knows where they are till this very day".

The pit of my stomach fell.

My heart flew to my throat as my mind dwelled on the words I just heard.

But it didn't make sense. Why would he kill me for doing what he asked me to do?

'To cover tracks', my subconscious delivered the answer immediately. Of course, if Mene's secret is leaked, the Afeelos would want to know who the rat was and Bobby didn't trust anyone to keep his secret. That man has never trusted anyone since his birth.

"Why would he kill me when I'd succeeded in doing what he asked?" I asked, wanting to know if he would provide the same answer my subconscious did.

"There's no way you would have succeeded". He deadpanned. "This whole thing was a trap".

"What?"

"Everything. It was planned all along by Bobby..." He wasn't done with his statement and I was too scared and impatient to entertain any form of suspense.

"And who? Bobby and who?" My voice rose as I demanded a little bit harsher when he still remained quiet.

"Bobby and Mary Afeelo". He announced and the pit of my stomach fell.